1. Patient-Centric Design: Clinical research often prioritizes researcher convenience over patient experience. Katie advocates designing trials with patients as true partners, incorporating motivations beyond financial incentives, such as learning, community, and altruism.
2. Diversity and Equity: Building diversity into clinical trials from the planning stage is essential. Katie highlights the importance of including representative voices early on and addressing barriers like geographical and digital divides.
3. Digital as a Bridge: Digital tools are not just for convenience; they can bridge gaps in access to clinical trials for underserved populations, especially in rural areas.
4. Learning from Consumer Industries: Drawing from her experience at Disney, Katie stresses the importance of creating a seamless and engaging experience for participants. From onboarding to returning results, every touchpoint should enhance patient trust and retention.
5. Reducing Barriers Through Behavioural Science: Katie highlights how applying behavioral science principles, like A/B testing and understanding participant motivations, can address key drop-off points in clinical trials. This approach ensures that trials are not just functional but also participant-friendly.

In this episode, Brandon Li sits down with Manish Agrawal, Co-Founder and CEO of Sunstone Therapies, to discuss the transformative role of psychedelics in cancer care and mental health.

Manish shares his journey from oncology to leading groundbreaking research in psychedelic-assisted therapy, emphasizing its profound potential to address emotional and psychological needs that traditional medicine often overlooks.

Key topics include:

- Manish’s career pivot: Why seeing unmet emotional needs in oncology patients inspired Manish to transition into psychedelic research.

- Complexity of psychedelic therapy: How combining psychedelics with psychological support creates a unique treatment model.

- Challenges in research: How subjective patient experiences challenge traditional clinical research methods.

- Patient stories: Profound moments of transformation, from facing mortality to finding peace and acceptance.

- The future of psychedelics in healthcare: How tailored approaches can integrate psychedelics into mainstream care while addressing stigma and operational challenges.

Tune in to hear how Manish Agrawal and Sunstone Therapies are navigating this exciting frontier.

In this episode, Brandon Li sits down with Srinivas Rao, Co-CEO of atai Life Sciences, for a deep dive into the pragmatic strategies shaping the future of psychedelic therapies. Srini shares how his background in engineering and neuropharmacology has informed a streamlined, patient-centric approach to drug development.

Key topics include:

• The evolution of atai Life Sciences, from a fund to a biotech company.
• Innovative drug delivery approaches, like DMT oral thin films, and why simplicity and scalability matter.
• Balancing diverse compounds and therapeutic areas with a focused portfolio strategy.
• Advancing research in areas like social anxiety disorder and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.
• Tackling clinical trial challenges, including the placebo effect and trial design complexities.

Tune in to hear how a pragmatic lens is redefining what’s possible in neuropsychiatric drug development.